[Real Beat] The Trend of Work Styles in Asia is 'Hybrid'... What About Korea?

Editor's Note[Jjinbit] is short for ‘Jung Hyunjin's Business Trend’ and ‘Real Business Trend.’ This segment showcases trends in ‘work’ such as organizational culture and HR systems that have changed since the pandemic. Based on analyses from foreign media and major overseas institutions that have not received much attention so far, we aim to deliver fresh and differentiated information and perspectives.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jung Hyunjin] What has become the most common work style in the Asia-Pacific region after experiencing COVID-19? HR industry experts say that the perception of office workers has fundamentally changed due to COVID-19, and they predict that returning to the old ways of working will be impossible. (Related article: [Jjinbit] "Five years ago, it was unthinkable in Japan... Demand for flexible work rises in Asia after COVID-19") Have Asia-Pacific office workers all returned to the office? Or have they all switched to remote work, or perhaps the 'hybrid work' style?spending only part of their total working hours in the office?has become widespread?

◆ "Hybrid work" rises from 40.8% to 80.4%

The U.S.-based nonprofit leadership education organization CCL (Center for Creative Leadership) released a report on the 15th (local time) based on a survey of 2,170 business leaders from 13 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. According to the report, hybrid work has become the mainstream in the Asia-Pacific region. Before COVID-19, 40.8% of respondents said they worked in a hybrid mode, but this nearly doubled to 80.4% after the pandemic.

In the same survey, the percentage of respondents who said they spent 100% of their working hours in the office dropped sharply from 54.8% before COVID-19 to 12.8% after. Before the pandemic, more than half of employees in Asia-Pacific companies commuted to the office daily, but now only about one in ten come to the office all week long.

Changes in the Proportion of Office Arrival Times During Working Hours Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic (Source: CCL Report)

At the same time, those reporting "fully remote work (100% remote)" increased slightly from 4.4% to 6.8%. Considering this, it can be interpreted that Asia-Pacific companies have mostly adopted hybrid work, which is a middle ground between office attendance and full remote work.

Asia-Pacific business leaders said it is difficult to allow 100% remote work for all working days, but they expect that employees can work remotely about 2 to 3 days a week. They are currently identifying the pros and cons of hybrid work and exploring ways to implement it efficiently.

◆ "Hybrid work introduced to secure talent"

Asia-Pacific business leaders do not expect this trend to end in the short term. They anticipate it will continue for the next 3 to 5 years. When asked about the preferred work style in the medium to long term, 43.4% of respondents answered "office-centered hybrid work," predicting that while more employees will come to the office, some will work remotely.

Following that, 18.2% said they would offer full flexibility, 15.2% said hybrid work centered on working from home, and 14.6% said full office attendance.

CCL especially noted that companies aiming to secure talent are more likely to adopt hybrid work. In the survey, Asia-Pacific business leaders cited the top benefit of hybrid work as "improving employees' happiness and health" (62.0%, multiple responses allowed), followed by "talent acquisition" (42.3%).

What is the greatest benefit an organization can gain from adopting hybrid work? (Source: CCL report)

This pattern has also frequently occurred in the U.S. and Europe, as reported several times by Jjinbit. According to Bloomberg News, job postings on the job search social network LinkedIn in India and Australia rarely mentioned remote work in January 2020, but by September this year, 20% of postings in India and 10% in Australia mentioned it.

Elisa Maris, Vice President of CCL, told Bloomberg News, "With unemployment very low, employee preferences have become more important than ever," emphasizing that "employees said they are willing to accept a 20% pay cut for remote work."

◆ Korea: Half expect hybrid work adoption

The survey results showed notable differences in views among business leaders by country within the Asia-Pacific region. Most believed that office-centered hybrid work would be the main work style for Asia-Pacific companies over the next 3 to 5 years.

Among them, Singapore and Australia/New Zealand had higher-than-average responses for "offering full flexibility" to employees regarding work time and location, at 31% and 28% respectively, compared to the average of 18%. The percentage saying employees must come to the office was 1% and 8%, well below the overall average of 15%. In contrast, China had the lowest rate of offering full flexibility at 10%, and the Philippines had the highest rate of requiring daily office attendance at 28%.

Differences in Work Styles by Country in the Asia-Pacific Region (Source: CCL, Bloomberg)

What about South Korea (8% of total respondents)? Korean business leaders responded that 47% expect office-centered hybrid work to be the mainstream over the next 3 to 5 years, ranking fourth highest after China, Japan, and India. However, the proportions expecting full flexibility or full office attendance were 13% and 11%, respectively, both below the overall averages.

Thus, Asia-Pacific business leaders recognize that transitioning to hybrid work is inevitable. However, preparations for this appear insufficient. One in five respondents said they are "fully prepared" to implement hybrid work, but the rest said preparations are lacking. By industry, manufacturing had the lowest "fully prepared" response rate at 9.9%, while professional services and finance had over 30%, showing differences.

The change has already begun. Even amid this major shift, differences in adopting work styles seem influenced by variations among countries, companies, and industries. It is now time for active discussions based on open communication to understand these differences and create work styles that satisfy everyone.